The ramen shop inside Otaru Yatai Village. I like the open and casual atmosphere as if eating outside. I ordered the Shio ramen for 900 yen. It had plenty of broth, wheat gluten, fish cake, green onions, chashu pork, and bamboo shoots, giving it a traditional ramen feel. The noodles were firm. This ramen is light and refreshing, perfect for finishing off a drink. It seems like the Shio ramen is popular here. I'd like to try a different flavor next time.

In January 2022, I revisited "Kichirin Otaru Shop" at the Brick Warehouse District for the second time. They were open during the New Year, so I visited during lunchtime with no other customers present except for one person who came later. I ordered the Fried Rice Set (1,100 yen). Unlike last time when I had the miso flavor and was served ramen first, this time the fried rice came first. I chose the soy sauce flavor this time, which uses a soup base made of chicken bones, bonito, soda bonito, simmered fish, sardines, and dried kelp, resulting in a light yet flavorful "light" type of soy sauce ramen that leans towards Chinese-style noodles. What stood out to me this time was the noodles, which are made from a blend of three types of wheat and have a firm and chewy texture without getting soggy until the end. It surprisingly complements the soup well. The owner mentioned that these noodles are a special specification only available at Kichirin from Kanejin Foods, and in other shops, the noodles tend to overpower the soup. The ramen itself, as the shop claims, is more about a taste that you can enjoy daily without getting tired of it. However, I believe that the noodles play a crucial role in this. The fried rice, while delicious, could benefit from a bit more salt to enhance the flavor. In that sense, I think the fried rice at "Kotsuki," a dining establishment in Otaru currently on indefinite hiatus, or its offshoot "Shintomi," is well-executed despite being more of a cafeteria-style dish. I will try the curry set next time when I have the chance.

It's New Year's Day. In recent years, I have always gone to Wing Bay on New Year's Day, but I heard that Kichirin is also open on New Year's Day, so I went there. The owner is the former manager of the main store. The weather wasn't great, and there weren't many people walking around in the city, so the shop was empty with no other customers. Although I was curious about the spicy dishes, I ordered the fried rice set (1100 yen) and chose the salt ramen. The salt ramen is light and on the wall it said, "Aiming for ramen that you never get tired of rather than just delicious ramen," and it was exactly like that. It's a ramen that is just right in various ways. I can't quite explain it well. The fried rice is moist. Personally, I prefer fried rice that is fluffy, but this one goes well with this ramen. It's delicious. I would like to try a different one next time. Thank you for the meal.

October 2021. When you think of "Ramen Kichirin," it is a popular restaurant with a main store in Teine Ward, Sapporo, and branch stores in Ishikari and Kita Ward. The main store is always full during lunchtime, but on the 6th of this month, I learned from Satochina's review that "Ramen Kichirin Otaru Store" opened in the Otaru Music Box Museum, so I had to go visit during lunchtime. The owner trained at the main store for 3 years, and although I have only eaten at the main store a couple of times in the past, I will consider the fact that this is a separate establishment and adjust my writing a bit. - Fried Rice Set: Kichirin's flagship is the salt ramen and half-fried rice set, but since I have only had the salt ramen at Kichirin before, this time I chose the white miso ramen, which costs 1,200 yen for the set. The owner's movements in the kitchen are good! The ramen arrived first, followed by the fried rice a few minutes later. Although it is called white miso, it gave me more of a blended miso impression than what I typically think of as white miso. The taste is slightly spicy, similar to the local favorite "Appare" blended miso ramen. Therefore, I think the people of Otaru will be able to accept this taste without any discomfort. The noodles are Kanajin's medium-thin straight noodles, slightly firm and just right. However, they do have a slight feeling of being tailored to salt ramen. The toppings include chewy chashu, menma, naruto, fu, and green onions. Next, the half-fried rice had a moist and springy texture, but the saltiness was a bit strong, slightly exceeding my tolerance level. It seemed like an accidental oversalting, so I hope for improvement next time. If it happens again next time, I'll have to tell the owner (^^; One more thing that caught my attention was that there is only one plastic water pitcher in the middle of the 5-seat counter (one row), making it inconvenient for people sitting at the end when the owner is cooking and you need to refill water. It may be a limited space, but some kind of improvement might be helpful (^^; Without fear of misunderstanding, I will write that people born in Otaru and living there for a long time often do not know about restaurants outside of Otaru (excluding those who refer to Tabelog), so they tend to go to the same places every time. Therefore, I think running a restaurant in Otaru is very challenging. Owner, please do your best.

Kichirin, with its main store in Inaho, Sapporo, has finally opened a branch in Otaru. It is located in the Otaru Yatai Village, within the Brick Warehouses. They offer 3 types of ramen: salt, soy sauce, miso, and spicy miso, as well as sets with fried rice and curry. They are also developing beer snacks that go well with chai only. The light and refreshing soup is made with chicken and vegetables, with no pork at all. They open from 11:00 for lunch and you can enjoy it from lunch to the end of drinking. It's a bowl that you can easily drink all the way to the soup.

Opened on October 6, 2021, "Ramen Kichirin" from Sapporo Hoshio Motomise has opened a new branch in Otaru. Congratulations on the opening! The main store in Sapporo specializes in chicken broth ramen and also has affiliated stores in Ishikari and Shinkotoni. The signature dish is the "Salt Ramen and Fried Rice Set" priced at 1,100 yen. The ramen features a light and clear chicken broth, though some may find it too light for their taste. The toppings include wheat gluten, seasoned bamboo shoots, chicken chashu, green onions, and naruto. The noodles are medium-thick, curly noodles from Kanejin in Higashi Ward, Sapporo. The fried rice is a classic style with egg, green onions, and chashu, seasoned with salt and pepper. The restaurant is located in the Otaru Yokocho, known as a tourist spot, but may need some adjustments to attract more customers and establish itself in the area. Overall, it's a decent option for a quick meal, but may not be suitable for families or those looking for a late-night dining option. Wishing them success in these challenging times in the tourism industry in Otaru.